Court and Cause Number
To find out where the adoption occurred and the Cause Number (Court case number) of the adoption. Send a check or money order for $9.00 to:
Texas Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics PO Box 12040 Austin, Tx. 78711-2040 Phone#: (512)458-7111 RE: ID Court To whom it may concern, I need the identity of the Court where the adoption occurred and the Cause Number. .... explain....
- For adoptees - include your name and your adopted parents name.
- For parents - your name or names, the date and other info.
- The Bureau of Vital Statistics for the State of Texas also operates a Registry. They make this expensive. You are required to undergo psychological analysis before they will Register you. (The underlying assumption here, is that people who give-up children are some-how psychologically deficient and that the child is damaged goods.)
Write to the Court
- Final Adoption Decree - Once you have the Cause Number, write to the court where the adoption occurred and obtain the court document that finalized the adoption. This document is available to the adoptee upon request. Look at any scribblings or notes in the margin these might be additional clues.
- Relinquishment papers - These records are sealed. Write to the Court to request that the records be opened.
Pat's Correspondence With Bexar County
I addressed the letter to the:
- Bexar County District Clerk's Office,
- 100 Dolorosa,
- San Antonio, TX 78205.
Pat Wrote
- Please send a plain paper copy of the adoption relinquishment papers for case number xxxxxxx . I have enclosed $1.50 for the first ten pages. Let me know if there are additional fees.
- This information is to be sent to the following address: [my home address]
- Thank you for your assistance.
- Sincerely, [signed] Pat.
The Reply
District Clerk Bexar County - Concerning your letter which we received [sic] regarding your adoption; adoption cases are sealed records. To unseal adoption records a motion and order to unseal must be filed. The motion and order must then be presented [yellow highlight begins] in person or by an attorney acting on your behalf [yellow highlight ends] before a district judge in Bexar County. Should the judge order the file unsealed we can then do a search regarding the adoption.
The motion must include the following information:
- 1). The year the adoption took place.
- 2). The name/names of the adoptive parents.
- 3). The reason the adoption is to be opened.
- 4). The fees involving the adoption case:
- 1). $5.00 for search fee
- 2). $5.00 for the unsealing of the adoption case, if only the decree of adoption is requested.
- 3). $25.00 to unseal the entire case jacket ($5.00 fee above is waived if the entire case is opened).
- 4). $1.00 per page to certify any document.
- 5). $ .15 per page of any copies of case requested.
*If you should need any further assistance, please feel free to contact our offices at (512)-220-2166. Between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Mon - Fri. Sincerely, [signed] Jennifer Thompson Deputy District Clerk Adoption Department Jennifer Thompson.
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